FEMP Call for Innovation

Background

With more than 350,000 buildings, the federal government is our nation's largest energy consumer. Federal agencies have a tremendous opportunity and an obligation to reduce energy and water use in their operations. The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) provides federal agencies and organizations with the information, tools, and assistance they need to meet and track their energy-related requirements and goals. FEMP is collaborating with the JUMP team to accelerate deployment efforts of energy efficient technologies in the federal space. This call for innovation is intended to identify near commercialization or newly commercialized innovative technologies that have the potential to realize significant energy savings if implemented in federal buildings. At this year's Energy Exchange, held August 15-17 in Tampa, FL, up to 5 finalists will have the opportunity to present on their technologies. Energy Exchange attendees will have an opportunity to vote on the most promising technologies. A team of technical judges will consider the votes and announce the winner (s) by the conclusion of Energy Exchange.

The Challenge

Identify near commercialization or newly commercialized innovative energy saving technologies that are currently underutilized in the federal building space. The technology areas open to the JUMP call are limited to:

Water heating and conservation technologies with tank storage capacity equal to or less than 120 gallons

For innovations in control systems, interoperability with standards based communication protocols is encouraged to facilitate rapid testing and evaluation. Technology areas that require more extensive analysis such as boilers, chillers, distributed generation/renewables, etc. will not be considered for this call. Window glazing and frame systems are also excluded.

Qualifying technologies would benefit from analysis by an independent third party with building technologies expertise, such as Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), to facilitate and accelerate commercialization efforts.

The Award

A total award of up to $100,000 is available for the winning technology submission (s). Up to two (2) winning technologies may earn an award, in which case the award would be split between the winning technologies. The funding will be awarded directly to ORNL by EERE for ORNL to evaluate and validate the winning technology and its potential energy savings impact in federal buildings. ORNL would then produce a case study report documenting the analysis results, which the idea submitter could then use to promote the technology in the building sector.

Campaign Activity

Prototyping the Next Generation of 3-D Printed Molds for Precast Concrete

Background

Precast concrete typically uses handmade plywood molds that are covered with fiberglass coatings. Although somewhat complex designs can be achieved with wood molds as shown in the pictures below, these tend to take a large amount of time and very skilled carpenters. This time-consuming mold manufacturing process can slow down the overall production process in precast plants and tie trained personnel for weeks in a row. Thus, the design of complex precast parts is currently limited by what can be manually assembled with plywood in a cost-effective manner, as well as the availability of skilled personnel. 3D printed molds, however, allow for much greater flexibility in mold designs without affecting their manufacturing time because the amount of time it takes to 3D print simple and complex molds is not much different.

In 2016, ORNL initiated research on 3D printed molds for precast concrete that unlocks the potential for new designs. Initial results suggest that the new process could alleviate shortage of skilled craftsmen who can assemble complex wood molds, produce 3D printed molds that are more durable than wood molds, and allow for easier implementation of last minute design changes.

The Challenge

JUMP into STEM invites University of Tennessee (UT) students to support the development of mold designs for the precast concrete industry that exploit 3D printing capabilities. The winning idea will showcase to precasters the possibilities that 3D printed molds can offer on designs that:

Surpass the potential of wood molds

Increase the energy efficiency of buildings by reducing the transport of heat, air and/or moisture through the building enclosure

This JUMP into STEM Challenge requires the submission of a small-scale 3D printed mold (i.e., not greater than 10"×10"×10") that captures the essence of the proposed design and a rendering that shows how the precast part would be used in a building envelope.

The Award

An ORNL Summer Internship will be awarded to the top selected idea submission. The winning UT student or team of students submitters will be invited to work with ORNL research staff for a 10-week summer internship* with the HERE Program. Potential work focus during the summer internship may include:

Work with ORNL research staff on printing the mold design at ORNL's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility

Work with ORNL research staff to conduct simulations that estimate energy savings from the proposed precast cladding design

Work with ORNL's Building Technologies Research & Integration Center (BTRIC) user facility on investigation of technologies to improve energy efficiency and environmental capability of residential and commercial buildings.

About the Internship: Oak Ridge Institute of Science and Education (ORISE) administers an array of programs for ORNL that meet the Laboratory's strategic goals for science education and workforce development, and serve the entire academic continuum for k-12 students and teaches to university students, postgraduates and faculty. Most of the programs can be categorized as research participation. This type of program uses the strengths of the Laboratory to provide mentored research experiences that complement the academic program or provide work-based experience and training. ORISE also works with the Laboratory to administer events or short-term programs that are designed to inform, reach out to specific populations, or offer opportunities for competition.

Idea Submission Deadline

About this Pilot: Recognizing the value of connecting with early stage innovators, ORNL is launching a 2018 pilot: JUMP into STEM. Leveraging the success of the online JUMP community, ORNL will partner with the University of Tennessee (UT) to advance student skills in the STEM field and encourage early stage research in building energy efficiency. During the JUMP into STEM pilot, UT students will have an opportunity to compete for Awards, including the potential for 2018 summer internships with ORNL. And in the spirit of crowdsourcing innovation, the JUMP community will still be open to others to comment and vote on the posted ideas. This community discussion helps DOE, ORNL, and industry partners gauge the market's interest in the topic and potential solutions. Students must complete an online application and meet the criteria for the internship program to be eligible to receive the internship.

Welcome to the JUMP Forum

The JUMP community of innovation is active with thoughts, ideas, questions, and discussions. To further support and encourage this activity, this forum has been established. If you have a question that is not addressed in our FAQs or you are seeking group discussion that is not specific to any singular call for innovation, please use this forum. Just a couple of guidelines to keep in mind:

All are welcome: All community members are welcome and encouraged to participate in the dialogue.

Be respectful: Please no remarks that are off topic or offensive.

No solicitation: Please no promotions or endorsements for specific commercial services or products.

Response time: Where applicable, a JUMP team member will respond to process and program related questions within 2 business days.

Building Wall Technologies Challenge

Innovations in Building Wall Technologies Using Anisotropic Composites to Reduce Building Energy Consumption

Background

In 2010, the primary energy consumption attributed to building envelope (roofs and walls) was 5.8 quadrillion BTUs (almost 6% of entire US energy consumption) 1 . In new construction, highly insulated building envelopes can partially address this opportunity; however in existing buildings, adding the appropriate amount of insulation material is often impractical due to high cost and/or space limitations. ORNL is exploring alternate thermal management technologies, beyond insulation, for reducing the energy consumption attributed to building envelopes. Specifically, ORNL is investigating the efficacy of adding anisotropic composites to external walls coupled with a heat sink or source (such as the ground) in reducing wall-generated heating and cooling loads. This concept entails actively diverting heat to a sink or from a source via anisotropic composites.

Figure 1. Schematic representation of heat re-direction using the anisotropic concept. Left – heat flow in summer through a regular wall; Right – majority of the heat flow is redirected to the heat sink via the anisotropic composite.

During FY17, numerical simulations were performed that included two-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA) models of wall assemblies and whole-building modeling to estimate the annual reductions in wall-generated heating and cooling loads, and associated energy consumption. The baseline wall consisted of 2x4 wood frame with cavity insulation. The anisotropic composite consisted of three layers of aluminum (Al) foil-faced polyisocyanurate (PIR) foam boards. It is noted that the Al-PIR composite is only one example of an anisotropic composite; many other configurations are possible.

The FEA models indicated reduction in heat gains of up to 80% with the anisotropic composite under Phoenix-like weather conditions. The whole-building modeling study showed that annual energy cost savings of up to $270 are possible under Phoenix and Baltimore weather conditions, by retrofitting a baseline wall with an anisotropic composite. Figure 1 shows the wall geometry utilized in the FEA model.

Figure 2. Model used in FEA; the heat sink temperature is assumed to be 10 K below the ambient temperature

In FY18, ORNL will explore the technical details and optimization of the system(s) combining the anisotropic composites and heat sink/source for laboratory testing to experimentally validate the findings of FY17. If the potential of anisotropic composites reduce unintended heat transfer can be established, further investigation of experimental system design(s) and development of innovative methods of implementing them in real buildings are needed.

The Challenge

JUMP into STEM invites University of Tennessee (UT) students to contribute to early stage R&D by utilizing the experimental design(s) of ORNL to propose methods of implementing anisotropic thermal management in existing buildings.

The challenge is to design a bench-top, i.e. at a smaller but a realistic scale, anisotropic composite and a heat sink system than can be incorporated in a typical residential wall. The anisotropic composites need to be designed to have very high thermal conductivity in the direction parallel to the wall and low thermal conductivity in the direction along the thickness of the wall.

Connection between the anisotropic composite and the heat sink or source (such as ground)

While applicants are allowed to propose alternate anisotropic composite designs, it should be noted that the evaluation will be more heavily-weighted towards designs of how to integrate the anisotropic composite to a wall and the heat sink/source.

This JUMP into STEM Challenge requires the design of how the system of anisotropic composite and heat sink/source will be attached to a real building. The system will be developed and implemented for testing in one of the flexible research platform or natural exposure test facilities of ORNL. As an example, ORNL has a 1-storey test building called the Envelope Systems Research Apparatus (ESRA) that has a south-facing exterior wall, which could a potential test site.

The Award

An ORNL Summer Internship will be awarded to the top selected idea submission. The winning UT student or team of students submitters will be invited to work with ORNL research staff for a 10-week summer internship* with the HERE Program. Potential work focus during the summer internship may include:

Collaboration in updating and optimizing the students' proposed designs of the anisotropic composite and integration of the composite to a wall and heat sink.

Perform field-tests of the integrated anisotropic composite wall system in one of the test facilities of ORNL.

Work with ORNL's Building Technologies Research & Integration Center (BTRIC) user facility on investigation of technologies to improve energy efficiency and environmental capability of residential and commercial buildings.

*Internship Awards are subject to ORNL site access requirements and availability of funding.

About the Internship: Oak Ridge Institute of Science and Education (ORISE) administers an array of programs for ORNL that meet the Laboratory's strategic goals for science education and workforce development, and serve the entire academic continuum for k-12 students and teaches to university students, postgraduates and faculty. Most of the programs can be categorized as research participation. This type of program uses the strengths of the Laboratory to provide mentored research experiences that complement the academic program or provide work-based experience and training. ORISE also works with the Laboratory to administer events or short-term programs that are designed to inform, reach out to specific populations, or offer opportunities for competition.

Idea Submission Deadline

About this Pilot: Recognizing the value of connecting with early stage innovators, ORNL is launching a 2018 pilot: JUMP into STEM. Leveraging the success of the online JUMP community, ORNL will partner with the University of Tennessee (UT) to advance student skills in the STEM field and encourage early stage research in building energy efficiency. During the JUMP into STEM pilot, UT students will have an opportunity to compete for Awards, including the potential for 2018 summer internships with ORNL. And in the spirit of crowdsourcing innovation, the JUMP community will still be open to others to comment and vote on the posted ideas. This community discussion helps DOE, ORNL, and industry partners gauge the market's interest in the topic and potential solutions. Students must complete an online application and meet the criteria for the internship program to be eligible to receive the internship.

The building industry strives to produce cost-effective and eco-friendly technologies that improve the performance of buildings, while also considering occupant comfort. It is crucial that innovative techniques and materials be developed that efficiently condition occupied spaces, contribute to improved occupant comfort, and have low product and installation costs. Such energy, comfort and cost considerations will best enable contractors and builders to provide customers with high-performing, sustainable buildings.

Thermal storage has multiple benefits which include: 1) 10X lifetime when compared to traditional batteries, 2) Adding a “partial ice” system to a building can be done at a lower installed cost than a traditional air-cooled chiller system, and 3) Many current thermal storage tanks are 99% recyclable and do not involve remediation of hazardous materials at the end of their lifecycle. Even though energy storage costs are trending down and thermal storage systems in general are approximately 1/4 the cost of electric battery systems, thermal storage has not gained global adoption at the scale which would support the greatest benefit to the power grid and cost advantages to consumers. Most current iterations of thermal storage systems involve large modular insulated tanks which connect to the building chiller systems to produce chilled water or ice inside the tanks.

To meet peak power demand, many utilities apply additional “demand” charges for commercial building customers to recover the associated capital costs. Energy storage can reduce these demand charges by storing energy during off-peak periods and then discharging to reduce the magnitude of peak building demand. Because a significant portion of commercial building peak demand is driven by air conditioning, thermal storage can be used in lieu of battery storage to reduce demand charges. In thermal storage, equipment is used to make chilled water at times when electricity demand is low; later this equipment can cool the building with the chilled water or ice during peak demand hours without any loss of climate control or occupant comfort. Although very efficient, thermal storage usually requires a significant footprint (see Figures 1 & 2 below) hence limiting technology adoption.

The Challenge

The challenge is to develop a new way to heat and cool commercial buildings using thermal storage. Specifically, can we conceptualize ways in which thermal storage can more elegantly complement the design of a structure or facility, thereby promoting greater implementation of the technology. Innovators are encouraged to explore ideas of incorporating the elements of chilled water or ice into a structure that is simple, elegant, and complements other building components and purposes to assist in making the overall building system more efficient and less dependent on the electric grid. Examples of innovative ideas could include storing chilled water or ice within various building components, exploring new ways to use chilled water or ice as a thermal battery for the building, and new ideas around using stored water to provide energy to a system of smaller structures. The solution should comply with the following design criteria:

Focus on new construction or deep retrofit for commercial applications;

Cost effective materials and designs meeting a simple payback calculation of under 5 years; and

System design provides maximum value to both the grid and the system owner by minimizing billed kWh/kW, thereby saving the owner money on monthly electric bills, while enabling the provision of demand response and other grid services.

This JUMP Call for Innovation requires only a written proposal, but inclusion of additional illustrations is encouraged. Review and consideration of ideas does not require submitters to provide ideas with documented Intellectual Property (IP).

The Award

Cash award of $5,000 will be sponsored by Trane for the top selected technology submission. The idea submitter will also be invited to discuss future collaboration with Trane and ORNL technical experts.
Depending on the needs identified ORNL may provide in-kind technical support of up to $20,000 to enable ORNL staff to provide prototype development, testing, 3rd party validation, or other defined support.

Additionally, Successful JUMP participants looking for funding and incubation support may be invited to participate in the Clean Tech Open Accelerator Program based on technical and market merit.

Novel Building Envelope Design for Increased Thermal Performance

Background

In 2014, more than 40% of US primary energy and 70% of electricity was consumed in residential and commercial buildings, resulting in annual energy costs of more than $430 billion. The envelope of the building, which refers to the external walls, windows, roof, and floor of a building, is the thermal barrier between the indoor and outdoor environment and one of the primary determinants of energy use to maintain indoor comfort. In fact, approximately 35% of this consumption, equating to almost 15% of overall primary energy usage, is used to maintain a comfortable indoor environment, and thus directly related to the performance of the building envelope.

The building industry strives to produce cost-effective and eco-friendly technologies that improve the performance of building envelopes, while also considering the overall building health. It is crucial that innovative techniques and materials be developed that: reduce the amount of energy lost through the building envelope, contribute to improved occupant comfort, and have low product and installation costs. Such energy, comfort and cost considerations will best enable contractors and builders to provide customers with high-performing, sustainable buildings.

The Challenge

The challenge is to develop a new material or an installation method that uses readily available products to improve the thermal performance and air tightness of a wall assembly, without compromising the durability of the wall assembly. Innovative ideas on the designs of a wall assembly or the materials are welcomed. Examples of innovative materials include but are not limited to: phase change materials, vapor open materials, and integrating materials into wood sheathing / studs to increase their R-value. Examples of innovative wall assemblies could potentially provide thinner profile with higher R-value components, easier insulation installation methods with lower thermal bridging effects, among others.

The solution should comply with the following design criteria:

Focuses on new construction for residential applications;

Minimum U-Value (inverse of R-Value) equivalent to the residential requirements of IECC 2015;

Cost effective materials and designs meeting a simple payback calculation of under 10 years; and

Materials should be non-toxic and eco-friendly.

This JUMP Call for Innovation requires only a written proposal. Review and consideration of ideas does not require submitters to provide ideas with documented Intellectual Property (IP). If you are concerned about protecting the potential of your IP, Select the "On" option under "Only Allow Moderators and Admins to see my idea" on the "Submit Your Idea "page. This will not permit the JUMP community to comment, discuss, or vote on your idea.

The Award

Cash award of $5,000; will be sponsored by an Industry Leader in the Envelope Space for the top selected technology submission. The idea submitter will also be invited to discuss future collaboration with the Industry Partner and ORNL technical experts.
Depending on the needs identified ORNL may provide in-kind technical support of $10,000 - $20,000 to enable ORNL staff to provide prototype development, testing, 3rd party validation, or other defined needs.
Additionally, Successful JUMP participants looking for funding and incubation support may be invited to participate in the Clean Tech Open Accelerator Program based on technical and market merit.

The National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) 2014-2015 Market Survey indicates that concrete decks represent about 14 percent of the new and retrofit low-slope construction market. The DOE Market Calculator1 lists the 2030 envelope-generated heating and cooling loads in commercial building roofs as 545 TBtu. Assuming that 14 percent of the roofing is installed over concrete decks and if problems exist with 50 percent of these roofs, 38 TBtu of energy savings could be achieved through this proposed innovation by eliminating the energy penalties associated with high material moisture contents.

In recent years, the roofing industry has become increasingly aware of the problems caused by moisture in concrete roof decks that migrates into the roofing system. When a concrete deck is poured, some of the mix water is used up in chemical reactions as the concrete cures, and some evaporates; but the rate of evaporation is slow, so large quantities of water remain stored within the structure of the concrete for extended periods of time. Moisture retention is exacerbated by construction methods where the concrete is poured over a non-venting form. While the concrete itself is generally not damaged by this moisture, the moisture typically migrates into the roofing system where it is absorbed by materials that are more sensitive to moisture.

While the primary function of a roofing system is to prevent water from passing into the building below, water or water vapor that collects within the roofing system can also be detrimental, both to the roofing system’s immediate performance and its long-term durability. Aside from leakage to the interior, moisture in roofing systems can have numerous negative consequences, including reduced thermal resistance of insulation and loss of strength of the insulation, cover board, adhesive, or fasteners. These effects could leave the roofing system vulnerable to uplift damage from wind, crushing from foot traffic or hail, deterioration of the structural deck, dimensional changes in the substrate (which can in turn damage the roof membrane), blistering or weakening of the roof membrane itself, and mold growth.

The Challenge

The challenge is to develop new materials or installation methods that can be employed with a concrete deck so that the likelihood of having moisture related problems is significantly reduced. Innovative ideas on the design of a roof assembly, the deck, or the materials are welcomed. Examples of innovative materials include but are not limited to: permeable decks, labor saving removable deck forms, vapor retarders and/or adhesives that work in moist conditions, moisture tolerant insulation materials, and methods or materials that accelerate the rate of moisture removal from the concrete decks, etc.

The solution should comply with the following design criteria:

Ultimately result in a concrete deck that is a suitable substrate for the 15 to 20 year anticipated service life of the installed roofing system;

Includes both new and retrofit construction;

Minimum U-Value (inverse of R-Value) to the commercial requirements of IECC 2015 ranging from 0.050 to 0.029 hrft2°F/Btu (R20 to R35) for Climate Zones 1-8, respectively;

Cost effective materials and designs meeting a simple payback calculation of under 10 years; and

Materials should be non-toxic and eco-friendly.

This JUMP Call for Innovation requires only a written submission. If you are concerned about protecting the potential of your IP, Select the “On” option under “Only Allow Moderators and Admins to see my idea” on the “Submit Your Idea “page. This will not permit the JUMP community to comment, discuss, or vote on your idea.

The Award

Cash award of $10,000 will be sponsored by GAF for the top selected technology submission. The idea submitter will also be invited to discuss future collaboration with GAF and ORNL technical experts.
Depending on the needs identified ORNL may provide in-kind technical support of up to $20,000 to enable ORNL staff to provide prototype development, testing, 3rd party validation, or other defined support.
Additionally, Successful JUMP participants looking for funding and incubation support may be invited to participate in the Clean Tech Open Accelerator Program based on technical and market merit.

EQUIPMENT & APPLIANCES CAMPAIGN WINNERS

Congratulations James Rowland, Mark Walter, and Matthew O’Kelly!

James is an engineer at Priority Designs, an industrial design and engineering consulting firm in Columbus, Ohio. His work typically shifts between electrical and mechanical design and testing for various product development programs. He also currently consults for Ohio State University’s Office of Energy and Environment by advising and supporting the research activities associated with the 2011 Ohio State Solar Decathlon entry, enCORE.

The idea is a hybrid air/water conditioner, which exploits synergies between conditioning indoor air, dehumidification, ventilation and hot water heating to significantly reduce energy expenditures associated with all of those processes.

The Opportunity

The winners presented their idea in front of 300 technical experts, lab scientists, corporate partners, small businesses, and financial institutions at the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Industry Day, hosted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. You can view a video of their exhibition at here. They will also have the opportunity to explore partnerships with the lab and/or industry partners to advance market adoption of their ideas. James Rowland, Mark Walter, and Matthew O’Kelly are currently in the preliminary stages of a potential cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with ORNL.

Winning Presentation

SENSORS & CONTROLS CAMPAIGN WINNER

Congratulations Jim White!

Jim is Senior Energy Conservation Engineer at Chelan County Public Utility District in Washington State. James designs and implements energy efficiency and renewable energy programs for public utilities. He was the originator and designer of Chelan County PUD’d award winning Sustainable Natural Alternative Power (SNAP) program for making solar and small wind cost effective in an area with some of the cheapest electric power rates in the nation.

The Opportunity:

Jim White presented his idea in front of 300 technical experts, lab scientists, corporate partners, small businesses, and financial institutions at the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Industry Day, hosted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. You can view a video of his exhibition at here. He will also have the opportunity to explore partnerships with the lab and/or industry partners to advance market adoption of his ideas.

Winning Presentation

ENVELOPE TECHNOLOGIES CAMPAIGN WINNER

Congratulations Rod Stucker!

Rod is an entrepreneur specializing in zero net energy (ZNE) design with focus on integrated design, systems architecture, and home automation. As owner of RM Enterprises, he works on the development of state-of-the-art Passive House and Zero Net Energy construction in the residential market including the use of solar thermal, solar PV, ground source heat pumps, desuperheaters, and hydronic systems that provide radiant heating, cooling and hot water.

Rod’s idea entails a novel approach to installing high performance EPS foam window frames and insulated glass units at the job site. This would both reduce the risks of improper installation and ensure a tight, well insulated and therefore energy-saving window package.

The Opportunity

Rod Stucker presented his idea in front of 300 technical experts, lab scientists, corporate partners, small businesses, and financial institutions at the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Industry Day, hosted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. You can view a video of his exhibition at here. He will also have the opportunity to explore partnerships with the lab and/or industry partners to advance market adoption of his ideas.

Winning Presentation

INCREASING THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE IN A RESIDENTIAL GAS OR ELECTRIC WATER HEATER WITHOUT INCREASING ITS SIZE

Background

Recent increases in minimum energy efficiency standards for WH’s implemented on April 16th 2015 (known as NAECA III) essentially mandated the use of more expensive heat pumps for electric WH’s and condensing technology for gas WH’s for tanks with a volume >55 gallons.

Technologies such as phase change materials (PCM) have the ability to store and subsequently release large amounts of thermal energy. It is hypothesized that PCM’s can be used to increase the first-hour rating (FHR, as defined in 10 CFR Part 430, Subpart B, Appendix E), of a residential natural gas or electric WH without increasing either the current dimensional footprint or the water storage temperature. However successful cost-effective application of this technology for use in residential WH’s has proved largely unsuccessful to date.

The Challenge

The challenge is to use innovative methods (such as PCM) to deliver as much hot water as a 65 or 80 gallon tank from a 50 gallon one, representing an increase in FHR of between 15-30%, without increasing water storage temperature. Proposed solutions would be subject to the following restrictions:

must not increase the storage temperature

must stay within the existing dimensional footprint of 50 gallon units (diameter and height)

must not negatively impact the EF as defined in 10 CFR Part 430, Subpart B, Appendix E

must not negatively impact the service life of the water heater

must not negatively impact the safety aspects of the water heater

must increase the manufacturing cost by no more than $150 at high volume

For example, prior to NAECA III, standard 65 and 80 gallon electric WH’s had FHR’s of about 75 and 90 gallons respectively. The goal would be to achieve these same FHR’s in the footprint of a current compliant 50 gallon WH (EF of 0.95), meaning an increase in FHR of 20-30%.

The Award

A cash award of $5,000 will be sponsored by A.O. Smith for the top selected technology submission. The idea submitter will also be invited to discuss future collaboration with A.O. Smith and ORNL technical experts. Depending on the needs identified:

ORNL may provide in-kind technical support of $10,000 - $20,000 to enable ORNL staff to providing prototype development, testing, 3rd party validation, or other defined needs.

Participation in the DOE Small Business Voucher (SBV) pilot will also be discussed; ORNL may provide in-kind technical support of up to $300K through the SBV program, if the SBV is approved.

LOW-TEMPERATURE INTRINSICALLY SAFE DEFROST SYSTEM

Background

Nearly 100% of US household refrigerators use R-134a as a refrigerant. However, in many other countries throughout the world, R-600a (isobutane) is used. The benefits of R-600a include: 1) significantly lower global warming potential (GWP), 2) typically lower sound level, and 3) lower energy usage (approximately 4%). The technical specifications and service procedures required to use R-600a as a refrigerant in the US have been developed. Nevertheless, the current barrier-to-entry for manufacturers to use R-600a is the cost of complying with UL 250 (Standard for Safety for Household Refrigerators and Freezers) to ensure customer safety. Specifically, because R-600a is an A3 refrigerant (i.e., low toxicity and high flammability) all electrical devices need to be spark resistant and no surface temperature should exceed 680°F.

During operation of a refrigerator, moisture from the air condenses and freezes on the evaporator. For the forced convection (frost-free) products that make up the entire population of US primary household refrigerators, a defrost heater is used to remove this frost from the evaporator coil. The heater is cycled at regular intervals to maintain cooling performance. In a typical configuration, a defrost heater is placed between the evaporator and a drain pan. The defrost heater warms the evaporator and melts the frost until a pre-determined temperature is reached. The melt water is removed from the refrigerator via a drain line connected to the drain pan. While effective, surface temperatures of the defrost heater may reach 1000 to 1400°F.

The Challenge

The challenge is to develop a low-cost system to remove ice from the evaporator while conforming to UL 250 Flammable Refrigerants Addendum. Specifically, the defrost system

Must not require substantial physical changes to the existing evaporator or evaporator compartment

Must be able to raise an unfrosted evaporator from -10°F to 40°F in 15 minutes or less

Must be spark resistant and surface temperatures should not exceed 680°F.

Should be able to raise an unfrosted evaporator from -10F to 40F in 15 minutes or less.

The Award

A cash award of $3,000 will be sponsored by GE for the top selected technology submission. The idea submitter will also be invited to discuss future collaboration with GE and ORNL technical experts. Depending on the needs identified:

ORNL may provide in-kind technical support of $10,000 - $20,000 to enable ORNL staff to provide prototype development, testing, 3rd party validation, or other defined needs.

Participation in the DOE Small Business Voucher (SBV) pilot will also be discussed; ORNL may provide in-kind technical support of up to $300K through the SBV program, if SBV approved.

CREATE A LOW-COST BTU SENSOR FOR USE IN BUILDING HVAC CONTROL SYSTEMS

Background

Thermal energy load measurements (i.e., BTU meters) can enable advanced building energy control and diagnostics solutions that have been shown to save 5% to 15% of building HVAC energy. Typical BTU meters consist of a flow meter and temperature sensors at the input and output of a load. Flow meters are the main material cost of BTU meters. These meters, although frequently deployed in industrial process applications, are relatively expensive for use in commercial buildings. Hardware, installation, and commissioning costs often exceed $10,000 per device.

The Challenge

The challenge is to develop a new BTU sensor that when compared to traditional BTU meters has an error of less than 10% full scale and an installed cost of less than 20%. The sensor could be an actual physical device or an advanced algorithm using other available system data to accurately approximate a measured value.

The Award

A cash award of $5,000 will be sponsored by UTRC for the top selected technology submission. The idea submitter will also be invited to discuss future collaboration with UTRC and ORNL technical experts. Depending on the needs identified:

ORNL may provide in-kind technical support of $10,000 - $20,000 to enable ORNL staff to providing prototype development, testing, 3rd party validation, or other defined needs.

Participation in the DOE Small Business Voucher (SBV) pilot will also be discussed; ORNL may provide in-kind technical support of up to $300K through the SBV program, if SBV approved.

Engineers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), in collaboration with Southwest Gas, and IntelliChoice Energy, have developed a heat pump that does not rely on the electric grid for its power. The residential Internal Combustion Engine Heat Pump (ICEHP) uses both an internal combustion engine to drive a vapor compression heat pump and the waste heat rejected by the engine for space and water heating. The ICEHP uses a 270 cc single-cylinder natural gas or propane fueled liquid cooled engine. The engine coolant, a 50/50 mix of water and ethylene glycol, recovers the waste heat from the engine block, engine oil, and from the exhaust. The current exhaust-to-coolant heat exchanger has a relatively large foot-print, 6 inches in diameter and 24 inches in length, and is expensive at roughly $1,200 per unit. The exhaust-to-coolant heat exchanger needs to be redesigned in order to decrease the overall foot-print of the ICEHP and reduce the system’s initial cost.

The Challenge

The challenge is to design an exhaust-to-coolant heat exchanger within the following parameters

Exhaust temperature: 1100°F Inlet and 200°F Outlet.

Exhaust flow rate is 16 cfm.

Maximum allowable exhaust back pressure 1.2 psi.

Coolant temperature: 165°F Inlet and 180°F Outlet.

Coolant flow rate is 5 gpm.

Coolant maximum allowable pressure drop 2.0 psi.

The heat exchanger footprint by at least 30%

Heat exchanger life >40,000 hours or 10 years

The heat exchanger cost target is $500 or less at a production volume of 100 units or more.

This JUMP Call for Innovation requires only a written proposal. Review and consideration of ideas does not require submitters to provide ideas with documented Intellectual Property (IP). If you are concerned about protecting the potential of your IP, choose the “Invisible to other Innovators” option when submitting your idea. Choosing this submission option will enable the judges to review your ideas but will not show it openly on the JUMP website. Choosing the “Invisible to other Innovators” will not permit the JUMP community to comment, discuss, or vote on your idea.

The Award

In-kind technical support of $5,000 will be sponsored by Intellichoice Energy for the top selected technology submission. The idea submitter will also be invited to discuss future collaboration with Intellichoice Energy and ORNL technical experts. Depending on the needs identified:

ORNL may provide in-kind technical support of $10,000 - $20,000 to enable ORNL staff to providing prototype development, testing, 3rd party validation, or other defined needs.

Successful JUMP winners may also elect to submit a "Request for Assistance (RFA)" for Round 3 or subsequent Rounds of the DOE Lab Impact Small Business Vouchers (SBV) Pilot Small Business Voucher. Successful SBV requests may be provided up to $300k in the form of in-kind technical support for prototype development, testing, and other problem statements facing small businesses in the clean energy innovation space.

ULTRA HIGH EFFICIENCY COMPRESSORS FOR AC APPLICATIONS

Background

High efficiency scroll compressors for air-conditioning applications show efficiencies of about 71% at typical operating conditions. Any improvement in compressor overall efficiency would translate into significant reduction in indirect emissions. A novel compression process, such as a new way to compress fluid, could result in higher efficiency than the existing compressor technology.

The Challenge

Identify a new compression technology or improvements in current compression technology to reach significantly higher efficiencies. The compressor cooling capacity should be in the range of 2-5 Tons and the compressor footprint should be equivalent to current compressors. The compressor efficiency level required is at least 80% at typical operating conditions.

This JUMP Call for Innovation requires only a written proposal. Review and consideration of ideas does not require submitters to provide ideas with documented Intellectual Property (IP). If you are concerned about protecting the potential of your IP, choose the “Invisible to other Innovators” option when submitting your idea. Choosing this submission option will enable the judges to review your ideas but will not show it openly on the JUMP website. Choosing the “Invisible to other Innovators” will not permit the JUMP community to comment, discuss, or vote on your idea.

The Award

The winning idea submitter will be invited to discuss future collaboration with Honeywell and ORNL technical experts. Depending on the needs identified:

ORNL may provide in-kind technical support of $10,000 - $20,000 to enable ORNL staff to providing prototype development, testing, 3rd party validation, or other defined needs.

Successful JUMP winners may also elect to submit a "Request for Assistance (RFA)" for Round 3 or subsequent Rounds of the DOE Lab Impact Small Business Vouchers (SBV) Pilot Small Business Voucher. Successful SBV requests may be provided up to $300k in the form of in-kind technical support for prototype development, testing, and other problem statements facing small businesses in the clean energy innovation space.

NOVEL DX REFRIGERATION ARCHITECTURE FOR SUPERMARKETS

Background

Currently a supermarket refrigeration system can consume as much 1-2 million kWh of electricity annually, as much as 100-200 homes. These systems require very large refrigerant charges, 3000-4000 pounds, for their operation and can leak in excess of 20% of their charge annually. Many new system designs, such as distributed, secondary loop, and advanced self-contained refrigeration systems, have been implemented to minimize the charge and reduce the energy consumption. The available literature shows that these advanced systems can reduce the annual energy consumption of the supermarket by around 10%-15%.

The Challenge

Identify a new architecture, the next generation of Direct Expansion (DX) supermarket refrigeration systems or modification to current standard DX system, which reduces the annual energy consumption by at least 25% compared to a standard distributed DX system utilizing R404A in a typical US city (Atlanta/GA).

This JUMP Call for Innovation requires only a written proposal. Review and consideration of ideas does not require submitters to provide ideas with documented Intellectual Property (IP). If you are concerned about protecting the potential of your IP, choose the “Invisible to other Innovators” option when submitting your idea. Choosing this submission option will enable the judges to review your ideas but will not show it openly on the JUMP website. Choosing the “Invisible to other Innovators” will not permit the JUMP community to comment, discuss, or vote on your idea.

The Award

The idea submitter will be invited to discuss future collaboration with Honeywell and ORNL technical experts. Depending on the needs identified:

ORNL may provide in-kind technical support of $10,000 - $20,000 to enable ORNL staff to providing prototype development, testing, 3rd party validation, or other defined needs.

Successful JUMP winners may also elect to submit a "Request for Assistance (RFA)" for Round 3 or subsequent Rounds of the DOE Lab Impact Small Business Vouchers (SBV) Pilot Small Business Voucher. Successful SBV requests may be provided up to $300k in the form of in-kind technical support for prototype development, testing, and other problem statements facing small businesses in the clean energy innovation space.

LOW-COST AIR FLOW SENSOR FOR RESIDENTIAL DUCTED HVAC SYSTEMS

*Note* The window for new submissions to this campaign has closed; you may, however, continue to vote.

Background

Ensuring proper air flow through ducted HVAC systems is critical for overall system performance. In addition to performance problems which may include furnaces cycling on the high limit, inadequate dehumidification in air conditioning systems, and icing of evaporator coils, without proper airflow, it is virtually impossible to verify correct refrigerant charge and it also hinders accurate measurement of both heating and cooling system capacity and efficiency. Making system adjustments to improve and correct for airflows that are either too high or too low has been shown to save up to 15% in energy consumption according to utility regulators (Calif Title 24) and the contractor’s trade association, Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA).

Typical air flow meters consist of a low-cost ($50) velocity-based anemometer and temperature sensors at the input and output of a load, but the non-uniform velocity profile in the duct requires multiple measurements to be taken across the cross section of the duct. Because this method requires the technician measuring and averaging at least 12 points across a traverse plane, measurements are subject to significant error (up to 25%). The process is also time consuming and thus is not commonly practiced in the field. Air pressure sensors (manometers) used to measure static pressure drops have also been used with inconsistent accuracy when static pressure is low. More convenient pre-built flow grid meters such as the TrueFlow offered by the Energy Conservatory can be accurate to less than 7% but very expensive (up to $800) in addition to the cost of a digital manometer. While the flow plate is relatively easy for a trained technician to use in the field and reduces testing time to as little as ten minutes, the high first cost can be a difficult sell for most HVAC companies. Other specialist service tools like the Energy Conservatory’s DuctBlaster are even more expensive and are more commonly used for measuring duct leakage rather than air flow. While a DuctBlaster can be used to measure system airflow using a pressure matching procedure where the DuctBlaster fan simulates the flow of the air handler fan, the set up for this test can be time consuming and the results are prone to significant error if the return side of the ductwork cannot be isolated from the rest of the system. Flow hoods (balometers) have also been used to measure airflow at the registers as a method of capturing total system airflow, but again, this equipment has a high first cost ($1200-1500) and the testing is time consuming and prone to error. Errors occur in flowhood testing due to the fact that multiple measurements are needed, distant proximity of the measurement location (registers) to the air handler compounded by duct leakage, and register flows in some locations being outside of the operating specifications of the equipment itself (i.e. not enough CFM to get an accurate reading.) Low cost and simplicity of hardware installation to enable fast field commissioning during initial HVAC system installation and on-going maintenance monitoring is critical to enable mass adoption by service contractors.

The Challenge

Develop a new air flow measurement tool or system to measure total system airflow across an indoor ducted furnace, heat pump, or central AC system. The tool should be easy to use by a trained technician with average total set up and testing time less than 20 minutes. The measured airflow should meet or exceed an accuracy of +/- 7% and the total first cost to the service contractors should be less than $100. The tool or system should be capable of measuring 0 to 2000 cfm typical of residential HVAC air flow range and could be an actual physical device or an advanced algorithm using other available system data to accurately approximate a measured value.

This JUMP Call for Innovation requires only a written proposal. Review and consideration of ideas does not require submitters to provide ideas with documented Intellectual Property (IP). If you are concerned about protecting the potential of your IP, choose the “Invisible to other Innovators” option when submitting your idea. Choosing this submission option will enable the judges to review your ideas but will not show it openly on the JUMP website. Choosing the “Invisible to other Innovators” will not permit the JUMP community to comment, discuss, or vote on your idea.

The Award

A cash award of $3,000 ;will be sponsored by Emerson for the top selected technology submission. The idea submitter will also be invited to discuss future collaboration with Emerson and ORNL technical experts. Depending on the needs identified:

ORNL may provide in-kind technical support of $10,000 - $20,000 to enable ORNL staff to provide prototype development, testing, 3rd party validation, or other defined needs.

Successful JUMP winners may also elect to submit a "Request for Assistance (RFA)" for Round 3 or subsequent Rounds of the DOE Lab Impact Small Business Vouchers (SBV) Pilot Small Business Voucher. Successful SBV requests may be provided up to $300k in the form of in-kind technical support for prototype development, testing, and other problem statements facing small businesses in the clean energy innovation space.

ACCURATE, STABLE HUMIDITY SENSORS FOR BUILDINGS

*Note* The window for new submissions to this campaign has closed; you may, however, continue to vote.

Background:

Humidity sensors can be used to improve indoor air quality and overall energy efficiency of buildings.
Humidity sensors, along with temperature sensors, are key components of many heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. Measuring and controlling humidity levels in buildings is important for both occupant comfort and indoor air quality. Low relative humidity levels can cause human discomfort, while high relative humidity levels can contribute to the growth and spread of biological contaminants and increase the potential for condensation and water damage to building materials. Humidity sensors are also important in HVAC control to save energy by avoiding unnecessary humidification or de-humidification of outside and recirculated air.

There are a wide variety of physical mechanisms used for sensing humidity but most low cost, low power humidity sensors used in buildings measure changes in the electrical resistance or capacitance of a sensor exposed to water vapor. In a resistive sensor, water vapor changes the electrical resistance of a hygroscopic medium such as a conductive polymer, and that change in resistance is measured. In a capacitive sensor, a thin film polymer or metal oxide is deposited between electrical conductors. The presence of water vapor changes the dielectric constant of air in contact with the polymer or metal oxide, which then changes the sensor capacitance.

Over time, both accuracy and stability can be compromised by the accumulation of indoor contaminants on the sensor and/or exposure to chemical emissions from other building materials that can change the sensor chemical composition. Heating mechanisms can be used periodically to remove some contaminants, but this increases both the cost and the power usage of the sensor.

The Challenge:

The challenge is to identify an accurate and stable humidity sensor technology that promises performance improvements over the market’s existing sensors. The proposed sensor must be able to measure relative humidity with an accuracy of +5% and maintain that accuracy to within +1% for a minimum period of 10 years. Low cost technologies, low power technologies, and technologies that integrate analog-to-digital conversion are of particular interest.

While this challenge is particularly targeted to innovators who are looking to commercialize the proposed technology as a small business, emerging ideas that identify unique technology solutions to this challenge will also be considered.

This JUMP Call for Innovation requires only a written proposal. Review and consideration of ideas does not require submitters to provide ideas with documented Intellectual Property (IP). If you are concerned about protecting the potential of your IP, choose the “Invisible to other Innovators” option when submitting your idea. Choosing this submission option will enable the judges to review your ideas but will not show it openly on the JUMP website. Choosing the “Invisible to other Innovators” will not permit the JUMP community to comment, discuss, or vote on your idea.

The Award:

Selected finalists will be invited to participate in a “mini-accelerator” program designed to help prepare the winning teams for participation in the Clean Energy Trust (CET) Challenge (http://cleanenergytrust.org/challenge/), an annual investment showcase where startups compete for $1 million in early stage funding. The program will provide curriculum and mentoring to help participants refine their business model canvas; explore first markets and customers; and provide venture development services, including help with hiring, marketing, IP, manufacturing, and supply chain sourcing. The “mini-accelerator” will also help prepare the winning teams for other clean tech business funding competitions.

Successful JUMP winners may also elect to submit a "Request for Assistance (RFA)" for Round 3 or subsequent Rounds of the DOE Lab Impact Small Business Vouchers (SBV) Pilot Small Business Voucher. Successful SBV requests may be provided up to $300k in the form of in-kind technical support for prototype development, testing, and other problem statements facing small businesses in the clean energy innovation space.

ACCURATE, STABLE HUMIDITY SENSORS FOR BUILDINGS

*Note* This is a private campaign. Your ideas will not be seen by others, only by the JUMP moderators

Background:

Humidity sensors can be used to improve indoor air quality and overall energy efficiency of buildings.
Humidity sensors, along with temperature sensors, are key components of many heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. Measuring and controlling humidity levels in buildings is important for both occupant comfort and indoor air quality. Low relative humidity levels can cause human discomfort, while high relative humidity levels can contribute to the growth and spread of biological contaminants and increase the potential for condensation and water damage to building materials. Humidity sensors are also important in HVAC control to save energy by avoiding unnecessary humidification or de-humidification of outside and recirculated air.

There are a wide variety of physical mechanisms used for sensing humidity but most low cost, low power humidity sensors used in buildings measure changes in the electrical resistance or capacitance of a sensor exposed to water vapor. In a resistive sensor, water vapor changes the electrical resistance of a hygroscopic medium such as a conductive polymer, and that change in resistance is measured. In a capacitive sensor, a thin film polymer or metal oxide is deposited between electrical conductors. The presence of water vapor changes the dielectric constant of air in contact with the polymer or metal oxide, which then changes the sensor capacitance.

Over time, both accuracy and stability can be compromised by the accumulation of indoor contaminants on the sensor and/or exposure to chemical emissions from other building materials that can change the sensor chemical composition. Heating mechanisms can be used periodically to remove some contaminants, but this increases both the cost and the power usage of the sensor.

The Challenge:

The challenge is to identify an accurate and stable humidity sensor technology that promises performance improvements over the market’s existing sensors. The proposed sensor must be able to measure relative humidity with an accuracy of +5% and maintain that accuracy to within +1% for a minimum period of 10 years. Low cost technologies, low power technologies, and technologies that integrate analog-to-digital conversion are of particular interest.

While this challenge is particularly targeted to innovators who are looking to commercialize the proposed technology as a small business, emerging ideas that identify unique technology solutions to this challenge will also be considered.

This JUMP Call for Innovation requires only a written proposal. Review and consideration of ideas does not require submitters to provide ideas with documented Intellectual Property (IP). If you are concerned about protecting the potential of your IP, choose the “Invisible to other Innovators” option when submitting your idea. Choosing this submission option will enable the judges to review your ideas but will not show it openly on the JUMP website. Choosing the “Invisible to other Innovators” will not permit the JUMP community to comment, discuss, or vote on your idea.

The Award:

Selected finalists will be invited to participate in a “mini-accelerator” program designed to help prepare the winning teams for participation in the Clean Energy Trust (CET) Challenge (http://cleanenergytrust.org/challenge/), an annual investment showcase where startups compete for $1 million in early stage funding. The program will provide curriculum and mentoring to help participants refine their business model canvas; explore first markets and customers; and provide venture development services, including help with hiring, marketing, IP, manufacturing, and supply chain sourcing. The “mini-accelerator” will also help prepare the winning teams for other clean tech business funding competitions.

Successful JUMP winners may also elect to submit a "Request for Assistance (RFA)" for Round 3 or subsequent Rounds of the DOE Lab Impact Small Business Vouchers (SBV) Pilot Small Business Voucher. Successful SBV requests may be provided up to $300k in the form of in-kind technical support for prototype development, testing, and other problem statements facing small businesses in the clean energy innovation space.

MEAN RADIANT TEMPERATURE SENSING FOR IMPROVED THERMAL COMFORT

Background

Today's typical thermostat provides air temperature as the sole index of the thermal conditions in the space, and doesn’t account for other comfort factors, such as mean radiant temperature, humidity etc. Mean radiant temperature measurements are challenging in the presence of radiant panels, even in conventional air systems with large windows that can have large mean radiant temperature swings. Solar radiation can have a dramatic effect on perceived mean radiant temperature, and a frequent cause of discomfort. When people respond to solar radiation by adjusting their thermostat, we see the shortcomings of only using air temperature to control a space. After the sun sets and the excessively low thermostat temperature remains, the space will be overcooled. A promising solution is touse operative temperature as an indicator of thermal comfort that combines the effect of air temperature (dry bulb, Tdb) and Mean Radiant temperature (MRT), factoring in their respective heat transfer coefficients. MRT sensing is not well-developed.

The challenge

Design and develop a proof of concept mean radiant temperature (MRT) sensor that can be integrated with Building Robotics’ Comfy offering, with the following functionality targets:

Ability to accurately measure the MRT in the presence of radiant cooling or heating systems (for example the effect on MRT of a surface with a temperature of 2-4 K below ambient, at 6-8 ft way)

Ability to measure shortwave conditions that are a result of solar radiation

Deployable solution: the solution is intended to be deployed in commercial buildings that are in active use. The sensor cannot just sit on a desk.

Response time of <5 min to changes in the environment

Bonus features:

Separate identification of short wave radiation (i.e. sunlight)

This JUMP Call for Innovation requires only a written proposal. Review and consideration of ideas does not require submitters to provide Intellectual Property (IP) rights. If you are concerned about protecting your IP, choose the “Invisible to other Innovators” option when submitting your idea. That will enable the judges from reviewing your ideas but will not show it on the JUMP website.

The Award

A cash award of $3,000 will be sponsored by Building Robotics for the top selected technology submission. Depending on the needs identified, the idea submitter will also be invited to discuss future collaboration with Building Robotics and LBNL technical experts and discuss real world applications of this technology.

Successful JUMP winners may also elect to submit a "Request for Assistance (RFA)" for Round 3 or subsequent Rounds of the DOE Lab Impact Small Business Vouchers (SBV) Pilot Small Business Voucher. Successful SBV requests may be provided up to $300k in the form of in-kind technical support for prototype development, testing, and other problem statements facing small businesses in the clean energy innovation space.

Additionally, Successful JUMP participants looking for funding and incubation support may be invited to participate in the prestigious Clean Tech Open Accelerator Program based on technical and market merit.

DISTRIBUTED TEMPERATURE SENSING FOR LOCALIZED COMFORT MEASUREMENT

Background

Heating and cooling in commercial buildings is typically driven by a very limited number of thermostats. However, the temperature sensed at the thermostat often does not represent the specific air temperatures at the different locations where people sit across the HVAC zone controlled by that thermostat. Office workers and facilities managers already use devices throughout the day – such as smartphones and laptops – with built-in hardware for temperature measurement that could be augmented to measure space temperature at each person’s location. Space temperature is not the only attribute of perceived occupant comfort, humidity and other factors also affect occupant comfort thermal perceptions. But space temperature is the primary component and the one on which commercial building energy management systems (BMS) typically regulate temperature in the zone.

The Challenge

Goal: Develop methods for distributed temperature sensing in office buildings utilizing existing hardware (i.e. smartphones and laptops) to measure air temperatures at each occupant’s location within an office or workspace. The solution should interface with the Callida Energy Occupant App solution deployed on smartphones.

Approach: Accepted solutions should be based on smartphones or laptops to measure workplace space air temperatures. The submitter is requested to estimate the accuracy of the proposed solution and detail the number of data points and device locations required to achieve highly accurate space temperature measurements. A strong solution would have a high accuracy with a minimum number of data points and still have adequate accuracy for a single person office zone in which there is only one data point on which to base the HVAC zone air temperature measurement.

In addition, the recommended solution should address the following:

Both mobile and stationary devices

Devices inside pockets/briefcases/purses/knapsacks vs. on the desktop

Device orientation

Devices charging and not charging

Target Accuracy: +/- 1 F of the local air temperature in a space (i.e. HVAC zone/workplace). The submitter should address potential calibration issues. An accuracy of +/-1 F generally results in a change of less than 10% on the Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied (PPD) as defined in the Fanger comfort model.

Bonus Features: A solution that encompasses both smartphones and laptops.

This JUMP Call for Innovation requires only a written proposal. Review and consideration of ideas does not require submitters to provide Intellectual Property (IP) rights. If you are concerned about protecting your IP, choose the “Invisible to other Innovators” option when submitting your idea. That will enable the judges from reviewing your ideas but will not show it on the JUMP website.

The Award

A cash award of $3,000 will be sponsored by Callida Energy for the top selected technology submission. Depending on the needs identified, the idea submitter will also be invited to discuss future internship or mentorship opportunity with Callida Energy, and LBNL technical experts.2

Successful JUMP winners may also elect to submit a "Request for Assistance (RFA)" for Round 3 of subsequent Rounds of the DOE Lab Impact Small Business Vouchers (SBV) Pilot Small Business Voucher. Successful SBV requests may be provided up to $300k in the form of in-kind technical support for prototype development, testing, and other problem statements facing small businesses in the clean energy innovation space.

Additionally, Successful JUMP participants looking for funding and incubation support may be invited to participate in the prestigious Clean Tech Open Accelerator Program based on technical and market merit.

RESIDENTIAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY APPLICATIONS FOR SMART PHONES

*Note* The window for new submissions to this campaign has closed; you may, however, continue to vote.

Background:

Modern smartphones are packed with a variety of sensors capable of detecting all kinds of things about their surroundings. Depending on the smart phone, sensor capabilities can include a thermometer, humidity sensor, barometer, magnetometer, light sensor, fingerprint sensor, gyroscope, accelerometer and more. There are even third-party infrared camera attachments for thermal imaging. Smart phones can determine not only whether their owners are home, or close to home, but where they are within their homes, which may be useful for managing HVAC systems, room or zone control of temperature, and controlling lighting and appliances. Smart phones can also analyze data and inform homeowners with recommendations to manage their energy costs and improve the safety and comfort of their home.

The Challenge:

This Call for Innovation will be conducted in two phases.

Phase 1

Give us your best ideas for ways to leverage the open, programmable, and sensor-rich platform that modern smartphones offer to enhance the way we live, manage, and interact with our homes today and in the future. For example, how can we use our smartphones to:

integrate and manage multiple systems in the home, including renewables and electric vehicles?

The "we" in this question is intentionally open, and could be home occupants, home performance contractors, HVAC installers, etc. Be sure to state explicitly the target beneficiary of your innovation!

Phase 1 of this JUMP Call for Innovation requires only a written proposal. Be sure to specify which sensor(s) and or feature(s) in a smart phone will enable your innovation.

The public may submit questions, comments, and suggestions on the website in response to the written proposals, and you may find these comments to be helpful. You are free to edit or refine your submission up until the submission deadline.

The public is invited to vote on your idea throughout the submission period. Public voting will remain open for an additional 1 week after the submission deadline. Based on the results of the voting, no more than six Finalists will be invited to proceed to Phase 2 of this competition.

Phase 2

The top submissions in Phase 1 will be invited to clarify their proposals with additional details and supporting materials. A maximum of six Finalists will be invited to Austin, TX to attend the CLEAResult Energy Forum in October (https://www.clearesultenergyforum.com/event-2016). There these Finalists will give more in-depth presentations of their innovations. The 10-minute presentations in front of the industry audience and panel of judges will require, at a minimum, a slide deck overview, but you may bring other supporting items such as hardware or software demonstration. Following all of the presentations, the judges will deliberate and selected the Overall Winner.

Intellectual Property Considerations:

Review and consideration of ideas does not require submitters to provide ideas with documented Intellectual Property (IP). If you are concerned about protecting the potential of your IP, choose the “Invisible to other Innovators” option when submitting your idea. Choosing this submission option will enable the judges to review your ideas but will not show it openly on the JUMP website.

Choosing the “Invisible to other Innovators”, however, will not permit the JUMP community to comment, discuss, or vote on your idea. Finalists from Phase 1 will be selected largely based on the results of the voting so we discourage choosing "Invisible to other Innovators" unless you have a concrete IP concern. Ideas submitted this way will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the panel of judges, who have ultimate authority over which submissions are invited to move on to Phase 2.

The Award:

Selected Finalists from Phase 1 will be invited to present their concepts at the 2016 CLEAResult Energy Forum, where a grand winner will be chosen by a panel of judges. Travel to Austin will be paid for by CLEAResult.

The Winner of Phase 2 will receive a cash prize of $3000 as well as mentorship in commercialization of his/her idea, if applicable.

Successful JUMP winners may also elect to submit a "Request for Assistance (RFA)" for Round 3 or subsequent Rounds of the DOE Lab Impact Small Business Vouchers (SBV) Pilot Small Business Voucher. Successful SBV requests may be provided up to $300k in the form of in-kind technical support for prototype development, testing, and other problem statements facing small businesses in the clean energy innovation space.

FEMP Call for Innovation

Background

With more than 350,000 buildings, the federal government is our nation’s largest energy consumer. Federal agencies have a tremendous opportunity and an obligation to reduce energy, water, and petroleum use, as well as greenhouse gas emissions in their operations. The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) provides federal agencies and organizations with the information, tools, and assistance they need to meet and track their energy-related requirements and goals. FEMP is collaborating with the JUMP team to accelerate deployment efforts of energy efficient technologies in the federal space. This call for innovation is intended to identify near commercialization or newly commercialized innovative technologies that have the potential to realize significant energy savings if implemented in federal buildings. At this year's Energy Exchange, held August 9-11 in Providence, RI, up to 3 finalists will have the opportunity to present on their technologies. Energy Exchange attendees will have an opportunity to vote on the most promising technologies. A team of technical judges will consider the votes and announce the winner at the Energy Exchange closing plenary.

The Challenge

Identify near commercialization or newly commercialized innovative energy saving technologies that are currently underutilized in the federal building space. The technology areas open to the JUMP call would be limited to lighting and/or lighting controls, and packaged HVAC and/or HVAC control systems. In case of innovations in control systems, interoperability with standards based communication protocols will be encouraged to facilitate rapid testing and evaluation. Technology areas that require more extensive analysis such as boilers, chillers, distributed generation/renewables, etc. will not be considered for this initial call. Commercialization efforts of qualifying technologies would benefit from analysis and verification by an accredited third party with building technologies expertise, such as Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

The Award

The winning idea will receive funding up to $50,000 awarded directly to ORNL by EERE for ORNL to validate, evaluate, and analyze the winning technology and its potential energy savings impact in federal buildings. ORNL would then produce a case study report documenting the analysis results and, if results are favorable, it could be used to promote the technology among federal buildings.

Bring Your Own Controller for the Internet of Things

Background:

Building automation today is primarily defined by stand-alone control systems. In some cases, these systems have been expanded to include analytical capabilities as well as dashboard systems to monitor the building performance. The monitoring, control, and operation of the control system often falls to a building maintenance team or facilities management team. At the same time that automation systems are becoming more complex, cloud based, and interconnected, there is also explosive growth in the use of connected devices including smart phones (The Internet of Things). Individuals can currently control entire ecosystems of smart devices in the home, but this level of device interconnectivity and hands-on-control of nearby devices through a personal smart phone or similar device has not been reached in the public and corporate space.

Similar to a corporate bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy for accessing company IT systems, we can envision a world in which individuals will bring their own device to commercial and industrial spaces and bridge the gap between private devices and public and/or corporate owned infrastructure. Some of the systems that might be accessible to a user in the public or commercial/corporate owned spaces might include lighting, heating, air conditioning, access controls, mass notifications, fire and safety communications, positioning systems, or many more...

The Challenge:

Employees, customers, and visitors to commercial and industrial buildings expect the same level of automation, control and ease of use that they might find at home. The challenge is to define the concept, use cases, technology stacks, and business models that could support the private control and use of public or commercial infrastructure and devices. How might you navigate the issues related to interoperability and cybersecurity? What needs or features would you build in to this device?

Examples:

You enter a retail store and are able to change the lighting in the changing room to see your new clothes in a different light.

After entering a building, the building notifies you of the best emergency route based on your current position in the event of a fire or other emergency.

Universal thermostat app that can control room temp or light in a room for any vendor (office, university, public buildings...).

Universal way-finding within buildings or in public infrastructure (e.g. subway).

Access to buildings or public infrastructure using device authentication.

This JUMP Call for Innovation requires only a written proposal. Review and consideration of ideas does not require submitters to provide ideas with documented Intellectual Property (IP). If you are concerned about protecting the potential of your IP, choose the “Invisible to other Innovators” option when submitting your idea. Choosing this submission option will enable the judges to review your ideas but will not show it openly on the JUMP website. Choosing the “Invisible to other Innovators” will not permit the JUMP community to comment, discuss, or vote on your idea.

The Award:

A cash award of $5,000 will be sponsored by SIEMENS for the top selected technology submission. The idea submitter will also be invited to discuss future collaboration with SIEMENS and ORNL technical experts. Depending on the needs identified:

ORNL may provide in-kind technical support of $10,000 - $20,000 to enable ORNL staff to providing prototype development, testing, 3rd party validation or other defined needs.

Participation in the DOE Small Business Voucher (SBV) pilot will also be discussed; ORNL may provide in-kind technical support of up to $300K through the SBV program, if SBV approved.

Employees of Siemens and its parent and affiliate companies, its subcontractors, as well as immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings, and children) and household members of each such employee may participate in the call for innovation, including, but not limited to, offering and voting on ideas; however, their ideas are not eligible for prizes nor awards.

With more than 350,000 buildings, the federal government is our nation's largest energy consumer. Federal agencies have a tremendous opportunity and an obligation to reduce energy and water use in their operations. The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) provides federal agencies and organizations with the information, tools, and assistance they need to meet and track their energy-related requirements and goals. FEMP is collaborating with the JUMP team to accelerate deployment efforts of energy efficient technologies in the federal space. This call for innovation is intended to identify near commercialization or newly commercialized innovative technologies that have the potential to realize significant energy savings if implemented in federal buildings. At this year's Energy Exchange, held August 15-17 in Tampa, FL, up to 5 finalists will have the opportunity to present on their technologies. Energy Exchange attendees will have an opportunity to vote on the most promising technologies. A team of technical judges will consider the votes and announce the winner (s) by the conclusion of Energy Exchange.

The Challenge

Identify near commercialization or newly commercialized innovative energy saving technologies that are currently underutilized in the federal building space. The technology areas open to the JUMP call are limited to:

Water heating and conservation technologies with tank storage capacity equal to or less than 120 gallons

For innovations in control systems, interoperability with standards based communication protocols is encouraged to facilitate rapid testing and evaluation. Technology areas that require more extensive analysis such as boilers, chillers, distributed generation/renewables, etc. will not be considered for this call. Window glazing and frame systems are also excluded.

Qualifying technologies would benefit from analysis by an independent third party with building technologies expertise, such as Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), to facilitate and accelerate commercialization efforts.

The Award

A total award of up to $100,000 is available for the winning technology submission (s). Up to two (2) winning technologies may earn an award, in which case the award would be split between the winning technologies. The funding will be awarded directly to ORNL by EERE for ORNL to evaluate and validate the winning technology and its potential energy savings impact in federal buildings. ORNL would then produce a case study report documenting the analysis results, which the idea submitter could then use to promote the technology in the building sector.